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Thursday, November 26, 2009

Now you do what they told ya

A classic song of rebellion! Some electrifying music to play when the work ethic slows down...

Apparently, people who are looking at houses for sale have zero imagination. They are incapable of looking at a house and picturing their crap in it instead of somebody else's crap. They can't look at a house and see anything other than what's right in front of their eyeballs.

I have been told that I have to repaint my living/dining room/ upstairs hall/ entrance/ downstairs hall.
I have to because First Impressions Are Everything.

I don't want to. I like the colour I chose. It's called Stone Harbour and it's a nice warm grey with just a tiny tint of brown. It's neutral without being beige. I'm sure you can imagine how I feel about beige if you don't already know.

Our real estate agent, who knows a hell of a lot more about selling houses than I do, advised us to take it up a shade or two. Not change the colour necessarily but take it lighter.

So, I'm gonna do it.

Because apparently the rest of the world can't look at a house without freaking out, clasping their hands to the faces and shrieking, "Good Heavens, the living room is... it's... IT'S SO DARK and GLOOMY." Cuz like you know, anything darker than BEIGE is so DARK it'll SUCK THE LIFE OUT OF YOU OH NOOOOOOOOO YOU MUST NOT BUY THIS HOUSE!

See, I really love this house, but I have to sell it, so I have to do what they told me.

This is tricky, this preparing my house to be presented to the world, because I don't know what everybody else likes. I know what I like. I like warmth, and coziness, and bright colours contrasted against an unexpected neutral. I like black. I have black curtains and black tiles in the bathrooms, and the kitchen floor. I like paintings on the walls. I like things that are old and have a sheen of wear and history. I like softness. I like pictures of my loved ones. I like displays of little things that have some kind of special meaning to me, or some kind of visual interest. I like plants and rusty horseshoes on the windowsills. Yeah, this often translates to a style I like to call "New Millennium Packrat" and it's not for everybody.

I can't tell what everybody else likes. I don't understand the big-box store beige carpet world some folks live in. And they wouldn't understand me.

(Honestly, general population of the world, can we get over our fear of the non-beige??? Be brave! And don't fear the grey! Ha, wait 'til they work their way back to our purple bedroom! ha, ha ha harrrr!)

Ugh. Nothing worse than having to paint a house you love but are trying to sell. Talk about a job lacking in motivational pull.

We got lucky and sold our last house right before things went south. To a couple who fell in "love with the bones" of the house. (ie they didn't like our style) That included a tomato red dining room, a purple foyer and main hallway, a dark brown master bedroom, and an orange bedroom.

Sigh.

Hang in there and know we're all right beside you and your paint can, cussing about how people have no imagination.

I can totally relate. I'd rather chew my own arms off than have a beige house. Now that being said, I can't imagine anyone not raising an eyebrow if they walked through my house. One day I'll walk through with a video camera and give a short tour.

The new lyric....Hmmm....not sure. Maybe George Thorogood "Get a Haircut and Get a Real Job"? or "Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance. Just a shot - really no clue this time:-)

Man does this bring back memories. We compared bookshelves once and figured out we have similar tastes. When We sold out place I had to completely "de-sue" it, and get a bunch of silk flower arrangements (barf) and basically move out and make it look like a hotel-- sort of sterile impersonal and better homes and gardens boringly tasteful.

About Me

I ride, I read, I write. I share my life with a husband, two teenagers, a Pug, a scary house cat, and three horses. Pink is my favourite colour. I used to hate it but then my brain got rearranged and now I like it so much I sometimes dye my hair pink. I'm slightly crazy and I believe we should all stop saying crazy like it's a bad thing. I write novels - like as in, I start them and actually finish them - and I fully intend to be a published author. I teach people how to ride horses for a living, and I love my job! All I ever wanted to do was ride my ponies and write my stories. Hey, that's what I do! Lucky, lucky me. Join me for horses, trucks, Johnny Depp, antidepressants, beer, trashy pop culture, interior desecrating, Jesus, John Deere, and rock stars. Yeeaahhh! We'll laugh and cry, it'll be fun, c'mon.